Introduction: Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a global health problem. It is common in poverty areas and indicates poor nutrition and health. According to Islamic beliefs, dates and goat milk are considered as superfood for preservation of health. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the beneficial effects of dates and goat milk on IDA. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 57 female adults with IDA. They were assigned to 5 groups with different feeding protocol (normal diet, dates, goat milk, both dates and goat milk and ferrous fumarate). Full blood count and iron profile were assessed at the beginning of the study and repeated at weeks 4, 8 and 12. Results: There was significant improvement in reticulocyte count and haemoglobin level in all three groups supplemented with dates and goat milk. The group supplemented with dates also showed increased in packed cell volume (p<0.005) while group supplemented with goat milk showed raised red cell count (p<0.005). The iron profile (ferritin and transferrin level) improved in all three groups supplemented with dates and goat milk (p<0.005). Discussion: Dates and goat milk improved the haematopoietic and iron profile in IDA subjects in accordance with previous reports on animal model. This may be contributed by the high iron content in dates and presence of biochemical components in dates and goat milk that enhanced iron bioavailability. Therefore, inclusion of dates and goat milk may be considered as a supplementary diet in IDA subjects.

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is a well-known etiological factor for cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. The E2 protein, the product of an early-transcribed gene in HPV–16, is postulated to cause the death of cancerous cells via p53-dependent and p53-independent pathways. The main aim of the present systematic review was to study the HPV 16-E2 protein as an apoptosis-inducer agent. A thorough search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and EBSCOhost databases was conducted for relevant studies on HPV AND apoptosis OR cell death where HPV 16-E2 was involved. The search identified 967 publications. Eleven records dated from 1 January 1997 to 16 February 2022 were found to meet the inclusion criteria and were eligible for data extraction and inclusion. All studies concluded that HPV 16-E2 was able to induce cell death in transfected cells. E2 proteins from the high-risk HPV–16 were able to induce apoptosis through different apoptotic pathways depending on the location of the expressed gene. However, the mechanism was still unclear, and further studies are warranted.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a medical condition characterized by insufficient iron levels in the body, resulting in a reduced ability to produce hemoglobin (Hb), a critical component of red blood cells. IDA is often associated with chronic fatigue, impaired cognitive function, and diminished well-being. Transferrin (Tf) is one of the major proteins in iron homeostasis, responsible for transporting iron through the blood to various tissues, while its carrier protein, transferrin receptor (TfR), mediates the cellular uptake of transferrin-bound iron into the cell. This study aims to evaluate the expression of TfR mRNA and protein in the small intestine following intervention with date palm and goat milk in IDA-induced rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were induced with IDA for 2 weeks using a low-iron diet. Following IDA detection, rats were supplemented with date palm and goat milk, singly and in combination. After four weeks, the rats were sacrificed, and the expression of TfR mRNA and protein in the small intestine was assessed using qPCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results demonstrated that date palm and goat milk significantly improved Hb, serum iron, Tf saturation levels, and modulated the expression of TfR mRNA in the IDA-induced rats. Expression of TfR on the crypt region and brush border membrane of the small intestine was normalized following intervention. The findingsindicate that supplementation of date palm and goat milk improved Hb and Tf saturation levels and significantly modulated duodenal TfR expression in IDA-induced rats.